​I'm a big believer in withholding gratification. Let me explain. I view most of my life decisions as though they were Amazon shopping experiences. I think about them a lot and then I put them in my cart for a few days while I decide if they are worth any related expenses. This sounds very boring, I know. And I also know I probably overthink most things. Like this blog. But I have had very few impulse buys that I didn't come to regret. And I have had even fewer impulsive decisions that made me happy.

I am reminded of the Robert Frost poem, "Nothing Gold Can Stay."

Nature’s first green is gold,Her hardest hue to hold.Her early leaf’s a flower;But only so an hour.Then leaf subsides to leaf.So Eden sank to grief,So dawn goes down to day.Nothing gold can stay.

To be honest, I have never really been a Frost fan, but I love this poem. I love the multiple meanings and the concision. And I think of it almost daily. It reminds me to value beauty and goodness because they are usually short lived. That may come across as somewhat pessimistic, but I don't see it that way. I think it makes beauty even more valuable. And back to my initial thoughts on withholding gratification, I have found that their is a kind of satisfaction in valuing something without having to obtain it.

This whole way of thinking has been tremendously impacted by our recent downsizing and move. These days I really think about my purchases before I execute them. For example, last week I decided I needed a new pair of shoes. For the most part, I don't wear shoes at home. And when I leave the house, the weather these days necessitates that I wear boots. But that requires putting on socks and sitting down to lace up my boots. There are times, however, that I just want to venture to someplace in the hotel without going to that much trouble. I usually just put on my flip flops, but now that it is colder, I need a warmer kind of footwear. (And I can't make myself wear socks with my sandals like my friend Christi... Even Wikipedia states that this is commonly considered a fashion faux pas) ​

So my major almost purchase last week was a pair of closed toe, slip on shoes. I pondered buying some clogs. I researched clogs, found several cute pairs, and I put them in my online cart. Four pairs of them. Then over the course of the week, I ranked them and deleted all but one pair. But I never bought them.

This probably strikes most of you as being way retentive! But when we moved here, I donated an entire black trash bag of shoes to Goodwill. And now I have an eight slot fabric shoe rack in my closet, and seven pairs of shoes--two of which are flip flops. I promised myself that I would not buy more shoes than what would fit in my shoe rack. So filling that last shoe storage slot is a big decision!

Meanwhile, I have become sidetracked with the whole sandals and socks issue... Did you know that the oldest known pair of socks in existence had split toes, sort of like mittens for the feet, so they could be worn with sandals!?!?! And the earliest evidence of wearing socks with sandals was documented in an archaeological dig in England which uncovered proof dating back 2,000 years.

Wikipedia also claims that wearing socks with sandals is a "regional phenomenon" in the Pacific Northwest! And here is sit right in the middle of the aforementioned region!!! So what is holding me back? I really can't claim that I am afraid to be a geek. (Wikipedia also notes that wearing socks with sandals is associated by some with "geek culture.") Maybe I just need to stay off of Wikipedia and buy the clogs. (Tomorrow's blog is totally dedicated to "Träskor", a specific kind of wooden soled clog made in Sweden.)

And maybe my inability to make a decision, even one as small as committing to a footwear purchase, is a function of my anxiety. (Also a topic sure to fill an entire blog.) As Jimmy Buffet says, "Indecision may or may not be my problem!"

​For now, I am going to compromise. Toe-less socks, aka legwarmers! And if I ever do commit to those clogs, they will work well with them as well.

Well, enough for today. This sandal and sock rocker is off to the laundry room.​